In his first life, Liam had been nothing special.
No talent.
No wealth.
No grand dreams.
He was just another office worker lost in the endless crowd—waking up early, sleeping late, chasing deadlines that never ended. Overtime blurred into nights, nights into mornings. He overthought everything: his future, his loneliness, his worth.
Until one day, his heart simply couldn't keep up.
A heart attack. Sudden. Quiet. Meaningless.
No family stood by his bed.
No one cried when he died.
That was how his first life ended—alone.
And that was why, standing inside the Grand Awakening Hall of this new world, Liam clenched his fists.
This time… I won't be ordinary.
The Awakening Ceremony continued.
One student after another stepped onto the platform, placing their hands on the Awakening Stone—a massive crystal pulsing softly with power. Each time, it reacted with light, revealing the student's Core Grade, the foundation of all magical growth.
The hall echoed with announcements.
"Green Core. Average potential."
"Blue Core. Above-average."
"Golden Core. Genius-level talent."
Gasps and whispers followed every golden glow.
Core Grades were simple, yet absolute:
Basic Yellow – Trash. Minimal mana. No future.
Green – Normal mages and warriors.
Blue – Elites.
Golden – Chosen talents of the era.
Red – Legendary.
Red was more myth than reality.
Only one person per generation could awaken a Red Core.
And for hundreds of years—
No one had.
Liam watched silently from his seat, heart pounding.
If there's even a chance…
His gaze tightened.
I want that Red Core.
Not for fame.
Not for status.
But because he had already lived a powerless life once.
Daniel returned to his seat earlier, glowing with excitement after awakening a Blue Core. Others followed—green, blue, even one golden that caused the entire hall to erupt.
Finally, only one name remained.
"Liam Vale."
The hall quieted.
Whispers spread immediately.
"That's the sleepy guy, right?"
"I heard he's weak."
"Probably yellow."
Liam stood and walked forward.
Each step felt heavy, but his expression was calm. He placed his palm against the Awakening Stone.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The stone glowed faintly.
A dull, pale yellow.
Silence.
Instructor Halvors exhaled slowly. "Basic Yellow Core."
The words struck like a blade.
A few seconds passed.
Then laughter broke out.
"Trash core!"
"Only yellow in the whole class?"
"What a waste."
Even Daniel stiffened, unsure what to say.
Liam withdrew his hand.
His chest felt hollow.
…So that's it?
In the entire class—dozens of students—he alone had awakened the lowest possible Core.
His fingers trembled.
Disappointment wasn't new to him. He had tasted it his whole first life.
But this—
This hurt more.
He returned to his seat amid whispers and mockery, eyes lowered. The dream he had dared to form cracked before it could even take shape.
Extraordinary…?
How stupid.
The ceremony ended shortly after.
Students left in groups, celebrating or consoling one another. Liam walked alone.
The walk home was quiet.
Unlike his previous life, this one had something he never did before.
A home.
The door creaked open.
"Brother!"
A small boy rushed toward him, arms wrapping tightly around his waist.
Liam froze.
Memories surfaced—warm, gentle ones. Cooking together. Helping with homework. Protecting him from bullies.
His little brother.
Someone who depended on him.
"You're late," the boy said, pouting. "Did the awakening take long?"
Liam rested a hand on the child's head.
"…Yeah," he replied softly. "It did."
As night fell, Liam lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Yellow Core.
Trash.
In this world, strength decided everything. Without power, the future was narrow and cruel.
I can't live like before.
Not again.
At that moment—
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[System initializing…]
[Host detected: Liam Vale]
[Condition met: Extreme Disparity Between Will and Talent]
Liam's eyes widened.
[Hidden Function Activated.]
[Core Upgrade in Progress…]
Pain exploded through his chest.
He sat up sharply as heat surged from his heart, spreading through his veins.
[Basic Yellow Core → Legendary Red Core]
[Upgrade Complete.]
The room fell silent.
Liam pressed a shaking hand against his chest.
He could feel it.
Power.
Deep. Vast. Sleeping—but undeniably real.
Slowly, a smile formed on his face.
"…So that's how it is."
Outside, the world slept—unaware that the only Red Core of this generation had already awakened.
And this time—
Liam would not die as an ordinary man.